Author's Notes: Not clones! :P I know you're just all wondering what on Earth is the deal with Jack and Mac, and we'll get there, but right now I've got to progress the plot of the story. One, by the way, I'm glad people are enjoying. I've very much been enjoying myself writing it. So thanks for all the reviews and comments and everything! And I'll tell you, figuring out MacGyverisms isn't as easy as it seems, even the really simple one I used in this chapter. Oiy! Oh, and, well, because dangling carrots is way to tempting, I got the idea for the concept of the connection and mystery of who Jack and Mac really are from watching The Pretender and Escaflowne. Ya, go figure.

Author's Notes2: Denise wanted to know why Mac wasn't so surprised when he first met Teal'c. Well, I figured it could have gone either way. Maybe it's because I've lived five years in Seattle, but I've seen some pretty weird things embedded into people's skin, porcupine quills being the most painful looking of the lot, and to see a gold tattoo just doesn't seem so peculiar to me. Plus, in my mind, being that I'm the author (*wink* *wink* *grin*) I tend to think of Mac as being the loose kind of guy who's seen some pretty weird things, too, and would take note of it, but not really be surprised by it. Now when Mac discovers the symbiote, that'll be a completely different matter. :D

Author's Notes3: Happy Birthday AuroraDannon!!

GUI (pronounced Goo-ee) – Graphical User Interface. An interface that enables the programmer to select the program's interface from a pre-existing range of options. Basically what us Windows users now commonly refer to as the desktop. ;)

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Daniel realized he'd dozed off again and mentally cursed. He knew he should rest, the blast of a staff weapon tends to drain a person of all their energy even if they manage to survive it and Daniel honestly felt completely wasted right now. But he was also afraid to close his eyes for fear that if he did he wouldn't be able to figure out who was who again.

It disturbed him in more ways than he could count. Jack and Mac were so alike, in more than just appearances. It didn't help that they were both dressed the same right now, either, although Jack still carried his compliment of guns, as well as a Zat'nik'tel on his hip, whereas Mac's weapons were still in a pile next to Daniel. There were differences too, certain mannerisms, but even they weren't so noticeable unless you were looking for them. Jack was that much more flippant with his remarks while Mac was more laid back and casual about everything.

But it was still disturbing now to listen as Jack went through Stargate 101 with his counterpart while they both worked on a section of circuitry they had uncovered. As Daniel watched and listened he knew it had to be Jack talking, but the way Jack was explaining things, in a way Daniel had never heard Jack talk before, and discussing concepts Daniel didn't even fully understand, it was hard to be convinced even this was the real Jack. It wasn't like listening to Sam or anything, Jack had a much simpler and compact way of describing everything, but it was still more than Daniel had ever given Jack credit for and he wasn't sure how to deal with that bit of truth.

Mac, on the other hand, sounded a lot more like Carter.

"It's great that these DHD's can use constellations as reference points, but a constellation isn't actually a point at all, they're composed of several solar systems that most of the time aren't even anywhere close to each other in their spatial relationship. They just look that way from this planet." MacGyver paused then amended, "From someone's perspective on a planet. In fact, take the same constellation and it completely changes from planet to planet there's no specific point of reference once you change your line of sight. Which in this case can be astronomical not to put it too lightly."

Jack gave Mac a look, pausing briefly as he worked at stripping the protective coating off a wire with Mac's knife. "Come on Mac, just think of it like GUI. The point of reference is for us not for the DHD." He passed the knife back to Mac and started fishing for a different wire. Mac was doing the directing on what went where, but Jack also seemed to have an almost uncanny knowledge of the circuits. Especially considering these were alien circuits, Daniel silently grumbled. This was getting to be too much for him.

"Well that would make sense," Mac murmured, agreeing with O'Neill, but still asked, "But how would the device make up for the fact that space is unlimited? Unless it's not. Can one really map the entire universe? There could be thousands of galaxies, and you need to have a set amount of space to even be able to deal with predetermined coordinates at all, especially if you take into account the Doppler Effect. Everything would have moved and the device would have to either recalibrate for the change, or reaffirm its coordinates somehow. Some form of space travel without the wormhole would have to be used just to make sure the coordinates are even there if it was using something physical for measuring the distances."

Jack thought about it for a second but then shrugged. "Who knows, it might do that. Carter would know." Then added suddenly, "Or it might actually have a grid set for each galaxy. When I traveled to this planet full of Asgards, cute little gray guys, the gate had to dial an eighth chevron to get there. Carter thought it was like a," and he paused, looking like he was forcibly pulling the words out of his memory, "an extra distance calculation, but…" he trailed off with another shrug.

"Think it was a grid id?" Mac asked stepping back to examine their work. They'd salvaged the paperclips from the other job and infused them with what they were hotwiring here to give this device enough power to work. "I think it's ready…whatever it is."

"I have an idea about that," Jack murmured, and then looked around the room. He motioned to Mac to back up by the wall and pressed together the two adjacent strips of mental that would normally be the unseen switch hidden inside the wall.

Daniel was too tired to even react as transport rings suddenly appeared, raising up through the floor from within a circular design that had previously been obscured by dust and rubble. They disappeared again, taking several piles of rocks with it and leaving an immaculately clean circle on the ground.

MacGyver on the other hand backed against the wall so quickly when it started that Jack actually laughed out loud. Mac gave him a glare. "You did that on purpose!"

Still chuckling, Jack grinned. "I have to get my fun in somewhere. Ready to go?"

"Go?" Mac asked still getting over his shock, then shoulders sagging complained, "Aww man!"

Daniel felt much the same; he wasn't too excited to go either. Not that traveling via rings bothered him, but traveling anywhere right now seemed like too much. He couldn't help but feel mystified by everything. Jack had a twin. Jack and Mac. MacGyver. Somehow that name sounded familiar, he vaguely recalled Sam saying it. Did she know about him? For some illogical reason, that thought angered Jackson, till he realized there was simply no way Sam knew, was there?

Then Jack…no MacGyver, was next to Daniel and giving him one of the most peculiar expressions. "By any chance do you have a pencil?"

"Ah…ya." Daniel fished it out of the pocket he kept his pencil and note pad in and handed it over. He watched with a pained expression as MacGyver took out the medical tape, the Mini Mag-Light, his pocketknife, and the battery backing off a walkie-talkie along with one of the batteries. "Um…"

Jack came over still chuckling, "I think the switch is too far from the rings, we'll need to rig it to- never mind. Got something?"

Not bothering to look up, Mac worked at pulling the spring out of the bottom of the mini-mag-light. "Maybe. I need a shoelace."

"Daniel, give him your shoelace."

Daniel just stared at Jack, an even more confused expression creasing his face. He really had a headache.

By the time they were ready to go, Daniel felt twice as confused as he had before. Jack…no, not Jack, MacGyver, had finished with what ever it was he'd done to the wall and was pulling out a small rock from the rubble.

"You going to be okay?"

Daniel turned to…Jack, realizing he was probably showing as much as he felt from the expression on the Colonel's face. "Ya. No."

O'Neill's eyebrow raised a little as he asked, "Well which is it?" But then he smirked and packing the last of MacGyver's guns into his own pack said, "As soon as we get back, Janet's going to get you all fixed up with her wonderful drugs and then everything will be okay. Trust me."

"Jack," Daniel began, but he honestly didn't know what to say. Jack just smirked again, the smile that said he understood but wasn't going to make things any easier by explaining.

"Come on." And slinging the pack on his back, Jack was offering Daniel a hand up. Taking it, Daniel clenched his jaw to keep from crying out as he awkwardly got to his feet. In the end it'd been his shoelace that'd been confiscated, but seeing as how he could barely put any pressure down on his leg anyway, Daniel didn't think it mattered too much.

Leaning heavily on Jack, they made their way to the center of the room where Mac met them, handing the rock to Jack. "The next bit is your area of expertise."

Daniel looked over to the wall where MacGyver was indicating. He could see now what had been pieced together around the switch and was a bit startled. "He has to hit that?"

"And with enough force to compress the spring," MacGyver responded cheerfully.

Daniel's shoelace was tied around one of the metal strips that would have to connect to initiate the rings. The other end was attached to the pencil half a foot away. The pencil was then taped to the battery, with the battery tapped to the wall and acting as a fulcrum. At the other end of the pencil was tapped the battery cover. The spring was wedged between the metal strips so that as soon as they touched they'd be forced apart again preventing the connection from sticking. The small battery cover was Jack's target. Not much room for error, Daniel worried, not looking forward to spending more time on his leg than necessary.

Jack didn't look so pleased about it either, but he didn't say anything. Instead, taking out his Zat he offered the weapon to Mac. "Take this."

For a long moment MacGyver just stared at the alien device then looking up at Jack with a pained expression finally replied, "No thanks."

Daniel wondered what Mac's apparent aversion to guns was all about, but he knew the look on Jack's face. This wasn't something the Colonel was going to back down about. True to form, Jack insisted. "This is a Zat gun, the first shot only shocks the person, it takes two to kill, that should be enough for even you to handle."

Making a face, MacGyver finally took the Zat, then looking suddenly nervous, waited for Jack to throw the rock. Daniel was honestly surprised when Jack hit the battery cover on his first try. The force of the throw pushed the pencil up which pulled the string attached to the metal bar and effectively 'pulled the switch' initiating the rings. Then, as the rock fell to the ground the spring pushed the metal strips apart, completing the function.

Blue light engulfed them and with the slight wave of disorientation that always follows, the rings transferred them further below ground into the pitch of black. The sudden change caused Daniel to automatically reach out, his bad leg giving out beneath him. Strong hands held him up and someone asked on his left. "Danny, you okay?"

Damn! He forgot which of them was standing where! "Ya, ya, I'm fine," Daniel replied through gritted teeth as he forced himself to put more pressure on his leg than he'd have liked. "Where are we?"

"Like we can see any more than you can!" The same voice on his left stated sarcastically. It had to be Jack.

"Wasn't there a…" The voice on his right trailed off as it moved away.

"Ya." Jack, or the one on the left, answered and in a moment a flashlight flickered on illuminating a small area of the darkness.

Okay, it was Jack standing next to him Daniel reasoned as he squinted at the figure in the vague light. Then Jack was swiveling the little light around the room. It wasn't big, but it was definitely of Goa'uld architecture. Even better, there was a door at the other end. MacGyver stood next to it, feeling out the hidden switch in the wall design of row upon row of hieroglyphs. Almost uncannily, the man's figures went straight to the small hieroglyph of a very goa'uld looking symbol, literally. It looked like a goa'uld, not something Daniel had ever seen as a hieroglyph before.

The door opened with only a whisper and Daniel felt the stirring of cold air brush past his face. It tasted a little stale, but not horribly so. Then MacGyver was moving back to them. "You say this is a buried ship?"

"It stands to reason," Daniel answered. "We've…" And he looked to Jack suddenly unsure how he was supposed to treat information around Jack's twin.

"We've come across them enough times to know," Jack filled in, if a bit grudgingly.

MacGyver's eyes lit up in the small beam of light as he grinned excitedly. "Really?"

"Oh for crying out loud, come on, let's see if we can find a way out of this tomb!"

They moved slowly, mostly because of him, Daniel knew, but he refused to let himself be carried as long as he could walk. Which apparently wasn't too far, too fast. As yet, keeping who was who straight hadn't been too much of a problem. Jack had insisted at the least in 'helping' Daniel walk, and MacGyver who had snatched up the spare mini-maglight had persisted in scouting ahead in spite of Jack's repeated reprimands.

Every time they caught up with him, Mac was avidly studying the glyphs that lined the walls, but this time it was with a frown. "What is it?" Jack finally asked when they actually passed the man who was too deep in thought to pay them any attention.

Mac quickly caught up. "There's none of that writing that lined the walls upstairs."

"It's just wall art Mac. Ain't that right Daniel?"

Stepping towards the wall, Daniel was just as happy for the momentary break, and examining the lines of symbols found much to his surprise that some of the hieroglyphs actually made a bit of sense. He looked at it harder. "Ah, Jack, I think it actually does say something."

"Sure, side with him," the Colonel grumbled, but in the next instant asked bluntly. "So what does it say, Daniel?"

"Ah," Eopher, Metisule, Rauf…no, those are gate coordinates…more names, none of them familiar. "I don't know," he finally said exhaustion thick in his voice as he turned back around and leaned against the wall. Damn. He forgot which was which again and they were both half obscured in the back shadows of the flashlights.

"All right. We'll take a break then keep going."

Gratefully, Daniel just slid down to the passageway floor and tiredly closed his eyes. It was pointless trying to sort them out anyway.

"So you've got an idea of where we're going?"

"Ya, that a'way!"

"You don't have a clue, do you?"

"Do you?"

"If we can find some more of that writing maybe it'll tell us something."

"What, like where the exit is? This ship is buried, remember? What is it you're not telling me?"

There was a long enough pause between the twins that Daniel opened his eyes again with concern. Both men were silently facing each other, neither of them moving. The small light of the flashlights wasn't enough to tell him much more than that, but then one of them turned, braking off whatever silent communication had been going on between them, and stated, "I'm going to go see what's ahead."

"I'll come with you," the other one immediately offered, but the first raised his hand.

"No. Stay here. I'll be back in a few." And then he disappeared down the hall, once again cutting the light down to half.

Daniel frowned. Maybe he was just too tired to make sense of anything, but neither of the men had seemed pleased and Daniel for the life of him just couldn't figure out why.

*****

"Where do you think we are?"

"It appears we are inside a goa'uld ship," Teal'c responded off to Sam's right. She looked in that direction as they cautiously moved along the length of the wall, but all that was in front of her eyes was blackness. Unfortunately, any form of light had been inside their vests. Getting out of their ropes had been interesting, too, but now both members of SG-1 were free and wandering the halls making sure to keep within a foot of each other at all times.

"I don't know Teal'c. A base maybe. In either case, there should be a room with controls around here somewhere."

"Indeed."

Sam grinned, and then felt Teal'c's hand on her arm. "MajorCarter, there is a door here."

"Where?" She realized it was a silly question the second she asked it, but after a minute, she felt more than heard a door opening and then Teal'c was tugging her sleeve towards him.

Moving cautiously away from the steady guidance of the wall, Sam walked with Teal'c into the room, or at least what they assumed was a room, as they found another wall and began following it around.

Then her foot hit something and Sam had to quickly bite back her surprise. "Something's here," she grumbled, feeling about the large boxy object that her foot had not so graciously located. There was an odd feeling to it, like there were buttons that should have been there but weren't, then her hand pressed upon something smooth and Sam felt something strange yet altogether recognizable tingle through her hand.

She realized what it was even as Teal'c announced, "I believe these are the controls you were searching for."

"Ya," Sam answered breathless. "I think you're right." But how to use them, she's wasn't so sure. Concentrating, Sam focused on the lights, and much to her surprise the blackness suddenly vanished as the ship's internal lighting flickered on. And it was a ship, a goa'uld mother ship, for what would normally be the window on the bridge of a Ha'tak was nothing more than a large hole with dirt cascading into the room where the force field would normally have kept it out.

*****

Jack had his gun in his hand in a second and aiming down the hall even as he blinked furiously against the sudden light. Turning back, he found Mac and Daniel, equally disoriented, but still alone. "All right, who did it?" Jack demanded, expecting a troop of jaffa to come around the corner any moment now.

"Wasn't me," Mac stated.

"Me neither," Daniel murmured, still keeping his eyes closed as he leaned heavily against MacGyver. Now that Jack had a good view of the anthropologist, Jack's worry doubled. They were pushing him too hard. Why the hell hadn't Jackson said anything?

"Maybe the lights are motion sensitive through here?" Mac suggested, but he didn't sound too convinced.

Again Jack scanned the corridor, but it was as devoid of anyone as it had been before. He almost wished there was someone there, then maybe he'd be able to shake the creepy feelings riding up and down his spine. Feelings that felt far too much like death. "Let's stop for a break."

"No, I'm okay, we stopped five minutes ago," Jackson disputed.

O'Neill looked at him, seeing the pained expression on his friend's face and was quite prepared to enforce his order, when Daniel gave him that smile, the one that had 'please' written all over it in such a pleading manor that Jack had never been able to refuse it. "Okay. We'll keep going."

Mac hadn't said anything, but when he caught Jack's eyes, Jack could easily see the worry reflected there. Jack just turned and led them onward. Personally, he wouldn't have minded the rest either. The painkillers were still doing their job and his side was mostly numb but Jack knew all too well that adrenalin had had a huge part to do with his continued energy.

After a bit they came to a break in the halls and Jack didn't even think about it, he turned right. That's when they started coming across doors. In all honesty, Jack wasn't so sure he wanted to see what was inside. In fact-

"What's written on the outside?"

Jack turned, taking a second look at the door. Down the center were gold hieroglyphs that very distinctly stood out from anything else. Daniel was looking at them too, and after a moment replied, "A name, I think. Huaresy."

"Anyone we know?" Jack asked with a small frown. Daniel really didn't look good at all. When they stopped he'd check the wound for an infection.

"No. Not any name I recognize anyway. There might be something more inside-"

"No!"

Jack wasn't so surprised when the yell of alarm came out of his mouth as quickly as it did, nor was he really surprised when MacGyver said it at exactly the same time. The mere idea of going into the room had raised such a sudden surge of panic inside him that it was hard to subdue it. "Let's not open a can of snakes we don't want," Jack stated and purposely turned away from the door.

"But Jack," Daniel began, obviously confused, not only by their reaction but by the lack of logic to it, too.

Jack just ignored him knowing Daniel wouldn't push the argument. Behind him, he heard Mac optimistically suggesting, "I'm sure we'll find something more interesting up ahead."

And so they did.

*****

"What do you think all these doors lead to?"

"I do not know, MajorCarter." Teal'c paused in front of one, running a hand along the engraved hieroglyphs that ran down the center. They'd passed several doors like this, all of them running up and down several corridors they'd already explored.

Carter stopped as well, feeling disconcerted as she looked up and down the all too quiet passageway. This ship wasn't laid out like any other goa'uld ship they knew, but it was a goa'uld ship, that much they knew for certain now. Most likely crashed here a long time ago, she mused. Carter looked again at her teammate, trying to interpret the calm expression of his face. "What does it say?"

"It is a name, Joshen." But then a slight frown graced his lips. "They are all names. I do not recognize any of them."

"But you think they might be of goa'ulds?" Now Carter had an idea about what had made her jaffa friend so disconcerted. Teal'c didn't reply and Sam took a breath to calm her nerves. "Well, I guess there's only one way to find out. Can you open the door?"

"I can."

Teal'c reached out to feel along the wall beside the door. They, too, had been covered in names, Teal'c had told her. Strings of names, separated by a gate coordinates. His fingers pressed and twisted an embossed symbol of a goa'uld symbiote. Never before had Carter seen them actually use themselves as their symbol, and seeing it now sent shivers up her spine.

With the click of gears long since unused, the door cracked, then fully opened. The two members of SG-1 stepped inside, a little surprised to find a sarcophagus sitting in the center of the small room. The walls of the room were completely covered from floor to ceiling in the Goa'uld writing.

"What does it say Teal'c?" Sam asked, feeling again a wave of shivers ascend upon her back as she cautiously approached the sarcophagus, but it remained silent and closed, and hopefully sealed.

The jaffa silently examined the walls, his frown deepening. "This is the same strange dialect we found in the ruins. I can not read all of it, but I believe it is an account of Joshen's war campaigns."

"His campaigns?" Carter asked, confused.

"MajorCarter, I do not believe we should wake Joshen up."

"You can say that again," Sam muttered. "Teal'c, do you think all these rooms hold a sarcophagus with a goa'uld inside?"

"Indeed, it does appear to be that way."

"Ya but why? I thought goa'ulds fought for dominance, why would there be so many of them here, in one place?"

Teal'c was silent for minute but finally responded with a simple, "I do not know."

"Okay. Well, let's see if we can find anything other than goa'ulds on this ship. We still need to get out of here if we're going to get help for Daniel and the Colonel," Carter decided, moving back to the door. Every ounce of her body was screaming to get away from the room and its imprisoned snake, and she was just as willing to comply.

They left the room, the door sliding shut behind them and locking the room in silence once again, that is, until the sounds of other gears made their presence known.